Collingwood’s Sunshine List grows to 61 town employees in 2022

In 2022, 61 Town of Collingwood employees made it onto the Ontario Sunshine List, an increase from the 47 that made the list in 2021.

The Sunshine List is the unofficial title given to the province's public salary disclosure, which requires any public servant salary at or above $100,000 to be declared and published yearly.

At the top of the list again this year was the chief administrative officer, Sonya Skinner, with a salary of $244,992 plus taxable benefits of $9,617.

The town's manager of capital and financial planning, Dennis Sloan, was paid $192,216 with taxable benefits of $736 last year, while the executive director of customer and corporate services, Amanda Pegg, was paid $165,512 with $1,581 in taxable benefits. Town clerk Sara Almas made $158,837 last year.

Rounding out the top-5 earners with the town in 2022 was the director of parks, recreation and culture, Dean Collver, with $157,051.

Twenty-six employees of the Collingwood Fire Department made the list this year, led by Chief Dan Thurman ($152,230 with $5,433 in benefits) and Deputy Chief Stephen Emo ($142,412 with $2,899 in benefits).

Other town staff on the disclosure list were directors and managers for town departments, which include:

• Treasurer Monica Quinlan: $150,233 plus $1,425
• Director of Public Works, Engineering and Environmental Services Peggy Slama: $144,373 plus $1,382
• Director of Planning, Building and Economic Development Summer Valentine: $142,474 plus $1,382

Collingwood Public Library CEO Ashley Kulchycki earned $104,350 plus $1,160 in benefits.

Since the Sunshine List was established in 1996, the threshold for disclosure (salaries of $100,000) has not changed. According to the government of Ontario website used for Sunshine List disclosure, the Canadian Consumer Price Index has increased by 54 per cent between 1996 and 2020.

If the original threshold established in 1996 followed inflation, the 2018 Ontario list would be reduced by 87 per cent (from 205,470 people in 2020 to 26,245 people). There were 4,494 people on the Sunshine List when it came out in 1996.

For the full Sunshine List of Town of Collingwood employees, click here.

Around the region 

Dr. Charles Gardner, the medical officer of health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, earned $325,055.25 in 2022. Dr. Lisa Simon, the health unit’s associate medical officer of health, earned $246,936.14, while Dr. Colin Lee, also an associate medical officer of health, was paid $222,471.75.

The CAO of Simcoe County, Mark Aitken, earned $298,277.46 last year. He is the highest paid among 295 County of Simcoe employees on the 2022 list. Aitken is followed by health and emergency services general manager Jane Sinclair ($257,617.55), corporate performance general manager Trevor Wilcox ($235,726.84), social and community services general manager Gregory Bishop ($233,206.30), and senior counsel Marshall Green ($211,102.72).

There are more than 1,900 Simcoe County District School Board employees on the 2022 Sunshine List. Director of education John Dance tops the list at the public board with $280,876.08.. Secondary teacher Karen Littlewood was next ($227,508.03), followed by Dawn Stephens, associate director of education ($224,122.54) and Corry Van Nispen, superintendent, who earned $198,199.21.

There are 889 Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board employees on the list. Topping the list is director of education Frances Bagley, who earned $249,696.00 in 2022.

Topping this year's provincial list again is Kenneth Hartwick, president and CEO of Ontario Power Generation, who earned $1,726,068. in 2022 — a little under $100,000 more than the previous year. The top overall three earners work at Ontario Power Generation. The fourth is Phile Verster, president and CEO of Metrolinx, who made $856,551 in 2022, plus $12,000 in taxable benefits. 

You can check out the list here.